Visit Taiwan while in China ?

[stoney]

I'll be in China on a 30 day visitor visa (from Canada). While I'm there I want to go to Taiwan for a few days then back to China before going back to Canada. Can I travel there from China without getting another visa. I believe Canadians can fly directly to Taiwan from Canada without a visa, just need a passport. But not sure about getting there through China.

[fanglu]

Going to Taiwan counts as exiting China for visa purposes. If your Chinese visa is a single entry visa, you won't be able to get back into China without a new visa. I'm not sure if you can get a new visa in Taiwan.

[Daan]

You can't, so you'll either need to apply for a multiple-entry visa for China, or spend a few days in Hong Kong to apply for a new Chinese visa after your trip to Taiwan.

[jbradfor]

To answer your question: you don't need a visa for Taiwan. When entering Taiwan, it doesn't matter where you are flying from, just what passport you hold.

[rezaf]

Is it possible to apply for a visa in Mainland?

[jbradfor]

??? Canadian citizens don't need a visa to go to Taiwan.

[rezaf]

No I mean those who need.

[stoney]

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=284000

"Canadian passport holders do not require tourist or business visas for stays of up to 90 days. Once in Taiwan, they may extend their stay for an additional 90 days by placing a request with the Taiwanese Bureau of Consular Affairs"

Anyways, looks like I'll need a multi-entry visa to get back into China.

[jbradfor]

Or plan your trip Canada -> China -> Taiwan -> Canada.

[JonBI]

Don't worry, just make sure you have a multiple entry visa, and all your plan tickets purchased. It is legal to go back and forth if you are a Canadian citizen and have a Chinese visa. I did it, it was fine, though the airport check in takes longer than usual. People were nice, though I found Taiwan not particularly interesting, and underwent an intense culture shock.

Just remember to have all your paperwork before leaving Taiwan - Taiwan allows Canadians in without visas, so just make sure to plan your return to China.

[edelweis]

Culture shock? please, do tell.

[Lu]

It's actually possible to get a Chinese visa in Taiwan, but you have to go through an agent and it's a bit mafan. So if it's just for a short visit, it's better to have a multiple-entry visa for China. Or, as suggested, return to Canada directly from Taiwan. That might not be the most convenient route though.

I'm not sure if you can apply for a visa for Taiwan in China. Presumably Chinese travellers to Taiwan get their visa somewhere, but I don't know if this is open to foreigners. But I assume that for this, too, there might be agents.

[johnk]

Culture shock? please' date=' do tell.[/quote']

I did a China -> Taiwan -> China trip in 2009. It was my first visit to Asia and I too found Taiwan to be a big culture shock.

I had the expectation that Taiwan was kind of a mini-China. But it doesn't feel the same at all.

For example, in Taiwan most signs are written in Traditional Chinese first and then in Japanese. The third option is English. Whereas on the mainland, most signs are in Chinese and then maybe there is a English version.

I just felt that some things were very strange compared to China. Many things struck me as being very Japanese rather than Chinese.

Having said all that the people were friendly and I had lots of good experiences.

JohnK

[Daan]

But Lu, surely getting a Chinese visa in Taiwan through an agent would take more than the few days he's going to spend there? I know an agent too, but that'd take at least two weeks. If you used a quicker agent when you were in Taiwan, I'd be interested to know who (so I can use him next time)

[edelweis]

＠johnk: thanks for the explanation

[Lu]

But Lu, surely getting a Chinese visa in Taiwan through an agent would take more than the few days he's going to spend there? I know an agent too, but that'd take at least two weeks.

I don't remember how long it took when I used an agent, it's more than five years ago, but I don't suppose it was any faster than yours. Not to mention that you need to find an agent first, they don't exactly have a sign outside their agency. If you're only in Taiwan for a few days, an agent is not the way to go.